What are the key features of an empire?
- BLUES AIN’T NO MOCKINGBIRD
What is the dialect in Toni Cade Bambara’s “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird”?
Though the setting of Toni Cade Bambara’s “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” is not fully identified, we can tell the story takes place in the U.S. South due to the two dialects found in the story. One…
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- HISTORY
Alexander spread the ______________ Culture throughout Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt and Persia.
The word that you are looking for to fill in this blank is “Hellenistic.” The Hellenistic Culture was the culture that was spread across the areas you mention as Alexander the Great and his…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What quote supports the idea that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are mockingbirds?
At the end of the novel, in chapter 30, Scout learns that the person responsible for saving both her and Jem from the clutches of an angry Bob Ewell is none other than their mysterious neighbor,…
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- WUTHERING HEIGHTS
What are the commonalities among these novels in relation to Nature, Realism and the Victorian…
The first thing to consider is that the Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, in the second longest reign in English history, only recently surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II. This was a period of…
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- SOCIAL SCIENCES
What is meant by “globalization of culture?”
Globalization of culture describes an increase in uniformity of cultural practices throughout the world. Culture is made up of many different aspects including language, food, architecture,…
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- SCIENCE
Who discovered the capillaries and how?
The Italian scientist by the name of Marcello Malpighi is accredited with discovering capillaries in 1661. Marcello Malpighi was “using a microscope” to examine “the brain and major organs” (Pearce…
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- HATCHET
Who is Perpich and why does Brian think about him in Hatchet?
Perpich was Brian’s English teacher, and Brian values his advice. Brian is involved in a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. The pilot has a heart attack and dies, and Brian goes down with…
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- THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW
In Chapter 5, Bryon and Mark hustle a couple of guys from Texas in billiards and win twenty-five dollars from them. After the Texans lose, they wait in an alley for Bryon and Mark to leave…
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- HISTORY
What were four key points of the changing role of women in the USA in the 1920’s?
Women’s roles were changing in many ways in the 1920s. Women began to work outside of the home. Women, especially young women, wanted to have a career. Women no longer wanted to just get married…
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- OF MICE AND MEN
What is the atmosphere of the opening paragraph Of Mice and Men?
The clearing outside of Soledad has an atmosphere of solitude and loneliness, of quiet, and of the sweetness of nature. The opening paragraph atmosphere illustrates a solitary place in nature that…
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- CHAINS
What are five historical facts that you learn about the fire and its aftermath in Chains by…
The fire that the question is asking about is the fire that burns down Lady Seymour’s house. Isabel rescues Lady Seymour and a few of her valued possessions from the fire. That particular New York…
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- HISTORY
Why did the Americans buy the Philippines?
As we approached the end of the 1800s, the United States was looking to expand the concept of Manifest Destiny worldwide. We also wanted to become a world power. Since other countries already…
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- HISTORY
What was Marx’s view on capitalism?
Marx viewed the industrial capitalism that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century as the final stage in economic development, one that would become so efficient at exploiting the labor of workers…
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- DÉSIRÉE’S BABY
In “Desiree’s Baby,” what is the meaning of the phrase, “He was reminded that she was nameless”…
In Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby,” the child Desiree is found and her heritage is not known. Her adopted parents, however, don’t care what her background is because they instantly love her….
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What might be the reasons for Mayella crying in court in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Mayella is of course in a very emotional, difficult situation. She has been called to testify in front of the entire town about a very traumatic event. The fact that Atticus, who is…
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- HISTORY
What role did women play in the Mongol Empire?
Women had a role of influence in the Mongol Empire as compared to other cultures at the time. An example of this was that Genghis Khan sought counsel from his mother and his wives at times. He…
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- THE HUNGER GAMES
What are the woods called where Katniss Everdeen Hunts in The Hunger Games?
In The Hunger Games, the woods have no official name but “the Woods.” The Woods is the area where Katniss and Gale go and hunt. The Woods is outside of District 12, and Katniss and Gale have to…
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- MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
In Much Ado About Nothing, what are some examples of gullible characters that make bad decisions…
As is frequent in Shakespeare’s work, many of the characters are easily fooled in this play. Deception is neither good nor bad in every case; sometimes it is destructive, while sometimes it is…
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- THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND
What conclusion does Holmes draw? On what basis?
Holmes does not reveal his conclusions until the end of the story. This is typical of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Watson observes Holmes in action and overhears most of what Holmes talks about…
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- LAW AND POLITICS
Is it true or false that there are no term limits for members of Congress?
It is true that members of Congress have no term limits. Members of the House of Representatives are elected to two year terms. They can run for reelection every two years and there is no limit on…
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- THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER
In the book “The Sign of the Beaver”, what was Matt’s book called?
Matt had just two books in the cabin with him. He and his father had moved to the wilderness to build a cabin for the family. There had not been room for anything more than the necessities and a…
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- LOGIC
What is the difference between the processes of deductive and inductive reasoning?
Many similarities and differences exist when comparing deductive and inductive reasoning. Both are examples of logic based reasoning, which rely on a set of premises, defined by the Merriam-Webster…
3 educator answers
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
How is Scout’s life similar to Harper Lee’s?
Jean Louise Finch is a character based very much on the childhood of Harper Lee herself. Therefore, their lives share many similarities. Here are just a few to get you started. “Finch” was the…
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- THE GIVER
The Giver tells the story of a boy named Jonas who lives in a dystopian, unnamed society. He is eleven when the story starts and is getting anxious about turning twelve because in his society that…
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- ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
Why is Anne’s nightgown skimpy?
As Anne prepares for bed on her first night in the Cuthbert home, Marilla asks her if she owns a nightgown. Anne answers that she actually has two nightgowns, each handmade by the “matron of the…
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- LITERATURE
Scout runs to her father as he faces the group of men outside of the jail. She expects him to be…
In Chapter 15, we learn that Tom Robinson has been moved to the Maycomb jail. One Sunday night after dinner, Atticus announces that he will need to go out. Suspicious, both Jem and Scout decide to…
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- THE LION AND THE JEWEL
In Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel, how does Baroka seduce Sidi?
Baroka successfully seduces Sidi by cunningly devising a plan to make Sidi feel comfortable, then using Sidi’s over confidence and infatuation with herself to woo her into sleeping with him. After…
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- A CHRISTMAS CAROL
How is Ebenezer Scrooge of A Christmas Carol a Gothic character?
The character of Ebenezer Scrooge is one of the Gothic elements of Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas Carol. Characters in Gothic novels are often one-dimensional, or stock, characters. We know…
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- HAMLET
Why does Hamlet kill Polonius in Act 3?
Hamlet actually kills Polonius by mistake. When he hears the noise and movement coming from behind the curtain, he thinks it is his uncle, the king. He has decided he wants to kill the king, as you…
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- HISTORY
What does the phrase “education for self-reliance” mean?
The phrase “education for self-reliance” is usually attributed to Julius Nyerere, the statesman and leader of Tanzania from before the nation achieved formal independence in the early 1960s up…
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- THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
What is a good quote from “The Cask of Amontillado” to hook the reader’s attention?
I should think the following quote from “The Cask of Amontillado” would hook the reader’s attention. A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form,…
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- RELIGION
How did Gandhi’s religion help him change the world?
Ghandi was first and foremost, in his religious views, open and embracing of all creeds. He was personally a Hindu, but he believed in the ideas of Jesus, Buddha and respected all religions as…
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- THE GLASS MENAGERIE
Who is the main character in The Glass Menagerie?
The Glass Menagerie, a famous play by Tennessee Williams, has four characters within the play. However, Tom Wingfield is arguably the main character of The Glass Menagerie. There is some argument…
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- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem have “mixed feelings” about Christmas. What are these…
The answer to this question can be found in Chapter Nine of To Kill a Mockingbird. According to Scout: Jem and I viewed Christmas with mixed feelings. The good side was the tree and Uncle Jack…
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- MOON LAKE
In the short story, Moon Lake by Eudora Welty, what are the literary symbols that my teacher is…
Literary symbols are usually objects, events, actions, or even characters which represent deeper ideas within the context of a story. Literary symbols and examples. Some symbols in Eudora Welty’s…
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- MACBETH
How many times do the witches deceive Macbeth?
Technically, the witches never deceive Macbeth–they tell him the truth, and he is the one who misinterprets their statements. Further, one of the motives of deception is personal gain, and the…
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- A CHRISTMAS CAROL
How does Dickens present Scrooge’s character in stave one of A Christmas Carol?
In stave one of A Christmas Carol, the reader is presented with a number of scenarios which Dickens uses to convey Scrooge’s character. In the opening paragraphs, Dickens talks about Marley’s…
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- THE TELL-TALE HEART
In “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, how does the story gain the reader’s interest from…
“Hooks” are imperative for any type of writing. Short stories, such as Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Tell-Tale Heart,” are no exception to this rule. Like many of his stories, Poe uses the second person…
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- HISTORY
Give one example of imperialism in Asia.
There are several examples of imperialism in Asia. One example is the French taking control in Indochina. Around 1860, France established control in part of Vietnam. Eventually, that control spread…
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- THE WIFE OF HIS YOUTH
What is the Blue Vein Society in The Wife of His Youth?
In Charles Chesnutt’s story “The Wife of His Youth,” written in 1898, the issue of race is central to the story. The protagonist, Mr. Ryder, is a light-complexioned African-American man who belongs…
3 educator answers
- GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Who has lost the most in Great Expectations?
Many of the characters in Great Expectations experience loss. Pip has lost his blood relations (his sister surviving into the story but dying from Orlick’s attack), with only Joe remaining. He…
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- THE MONKEY’S PAW
What is the exposition to “The Monkey’s Paw”?
Exposition is the beginning of a story. In the exposition, the characters, setting, and inciting incident are introduced. The inciting incident is the conflict that gets the plot rolling. The…
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- SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT
How I can write an essay about the hesitant officer in “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell?
Orwell, an officer of the British Colonial government in Burma, finds himself faced with a moral dilemma when he is sent to kill a rogue elephant. (This can be the direction of the essay.) As he…
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- THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND
Why was Helen Stoner afraid of her stepfather in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”?
Helen Stoner is afraid of her stepfather because he has a violent temper and her sister is dead. Helen Stoner comes to hire Sherlock Holmes. When a person comes to see the famous detective…
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- ROMEO AND JULIET
What admonition does Friar Laurence give Romeo in Act 2, Scene 3?
Friar Laurence chides Romeo for going from one girl to another. When Romeo comes to Friar Laurence in the morning, he first assumes that Romeo has been sinning with Rosaline. Romeo tells him that…
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- HISTORY
How did George Washington die?
On December 13, 1799, Washington was outside during a winter storm at Mount Vernon. Not wanting to be late to dinner, he did not change out of his wet clothes, and that night started complaining…
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- HISTORY
What are the key features of an empire?
A country has established an empire when it has inflicted its military, economic, political, or cultural will on territories outside of its original realm. Empires tend to be driven by strong,…
1 educator answer
- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
What are three quotes from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird that describe the symbol of the Radley…
The Radley house is a symbol of mystery, terror, and isolation throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout, Jem, and Dill fear Arthur “Boo” Radley, who resides in the terrifying house. In…
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- THE BET
Why is there a flashback in “The Bet” by Anton Chekhov?
Anton Chekhov, author of “The Bet” chooses to tell his story primarily through flashback for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is an interesting way to tell a story! Secondly, and perhaps the…
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- A SEPARATE PEACE
How does John Knowles depict Phineas as “too good to be true” or “too good to be a mere mortal”…
A Separate Peace is written from Gene Forrester’s (a character’s) point of view. Any depiction of Phineas is described through his jealous, and sometimes sarcastic, filter. That being said, Phineas…
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